The failings of Northamptonshire Police officers to identify vulnerable children and to monitor sex offenders properly have been laid bare by a damning report, released today.
Inspectors from HMIC reported back today on three visits to Northamptonshire Police, the first in January - when serious failings were first identified - and then in March and in June.
Police were initially inspected in January, when HMIC looked at the child protection services provided by Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire County Council, health service providers and the probation services.
Today’s report reveals, for the first time, the scale of the problems within the police force and follows widespread criticism for Northamptonshire County Council earlier this year.
The report showed the police team that manages sex offenders in the county was under-staffed, while work to protect young children who were at risk was “hampered” by police who failed to share information.
In one example three weeks elapsed before any action was taken to protect a 13-year-old girl, who was identified as being at risk of being sexually exploited.
January’s findings, which were only published today, reveal:
- Opportunities were being missed to work more closely with partner agencies...meaning the extent of the risk to children may not have been properly identified or investigated;
- Multi-agency work to support and protect children at risk of harm arising from domestic abuse incidents was hampered by the delay in sharing relevant police information with child protection partners;
- Four out of 10 records examined as part of the inspection showed a delay of over 25 days between the incident being reported, and the information being shared with the children’s social care team;
- Children and young people who were living in an environment where there was domestic abuse were not being checked by police officers attending incidents to make sure they were safe;
- Police referrals to the children’s social care team about children and young people at risk of harm from situations which were not connected to domestic abuse did not always contain all the relevant police information;
- The welfare of children was being adversely affected by the delays to the evidential analysis of computers within indecent imagery enquiries. Enquiries lasting more than six months meant that, in some cases, children were affected by restrictions on seeing family members for excessive periods of time;
- The number of staff within the DPMU (Dangerous Persons Management Unit) was insufficient to be able to ensure that child protection risks were consistently identified;
- Initial visits to registered sex offenders were not conducted in line with force policy (14 days), gaps existed within intelligence analysis, and mandated visits were not conducted in line with national guidance based on risk;
- Opportunities to identify children at risk of harm were being missed because the police and children’s social care team were not working together on information about missing children;
- Children and young people continued to be detained in police cells, and alternative accommodation arrangements had not been arranged by senior leaders from all agencies at a strategic level
- There appeared to be insufficient support from senior managers for child protection work within the force.
When inspectors returned in March they found a new plan, drawn up by senior officer, had “not been communicated to staff.
It led to them “trying to implement changes on their own”.
Inspectors said “more progress should have been made, given the seriousness of the risks posed to some children.”
Since then, the force has “demonstrated that they take child safeguarding seriously”.
However, HMIC say there “is still much work to do before it can offer assurance that children at risk are being adequately protected”.